What does Doumandzou mean?

Posted on February 8, 2015 Updated on February 9, 2015

You have heard that Doumandzou is the “centre du monde”. But what does it mean. This came up as the cement was being worked as the final surface of the terrace. The goats did a number on the original as you can see, but we were worried. One of the construction inspectors (in red in the photo) was remarking that he didn’t want to get stuck in the fresh cement. That brought to mind the village of Obia in the east of Gabon where we had a training and completed a school. I mentioned that Obia mean “we got stuck in the mud”. I then asked one of the other construction inspectors, Papa Ekabane our host and the biggest player in the village, “What does Doumandzou mean?” He replies “The eagle’s nest.” He pointed out that eagles make their nests in the tops if some of the okoume trees and specifically one in the distant horizon. I of course had to tell them that I used to live in a house called “Crows Nest”, Then I said that i had graduated from a Crow to an Eagle. Last coat of paint goes on tomorrow and then it is patching holes in the roof and touch up and clean up. We should be ready for the ambassador and other dignitaries this Saturday.